14 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



basket full of fish is the only end of the sport, and 

 an intention to fill it the only justification. Too 

 often the art of angling is its own and only reward, 

 and it would therefore be unwise to reject the 

 " useless trappings" which adorn it. All this is 

 very artificial, no doubt ; but we live in an artificial 

 age, and the most of our pastimes are artificial too. 

 Therefore let not the novice be ashamed of taking 

 pleasure in his handsome rod and pretty floats ; he has 

 only to listen to the conversation of a circle of 

 seasoned anglers to realise that nine out of ten of 

 them are similarly rejoiced by their gear. 



There is one more thing that the beginner must 

 buy, unless he lives in the country, and that is the 

 worms for his first day's fishing. The tackle-maker 

 will be able to supply them, and they should be 

 of two kinds, brandlings and lobworms. Sixpenny- 

 worth of each should be enough, and they will be 

 put into two small bags with a handful of moss, 

 which must not be too dry. Damp moss makes 

 worms bright and tough, but if it is dry it is useless, 

 and they die in it. In hot weather dead worms 

 rapidly become a great offence. It is possible to 

 get special worm-tins, with holes in their lids for 

 ventilation, or it is possible to bore holes in the lid 

 of a small cocoa-tin and to use that. Tin or bag, 

 it does not matter which one uses, but I think 



